The Ultimate Question

Fred Reichheld wrote a business book entitled The Ultimate Question.  In this book he says the ultimate question is “would you recommend this (product, service) to others?”  He’s right!  It really doesn’t matter what you are talking about—restaurant to vacation spot, doctor or attorney, a firsthand experience or a cause, if you would unequivocally recommend it to others, then you had a good experience. 

So it is fair to ask, why are we at Entrusted Legacy wanting to share our very gratifying experience in supporting youth workers with you? 

Is it because of the words of Margaret Mead when she says:  "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."  The answer is YES! We believe we can make a difference.  But that’s only part of the reason. 

Maybe it is the words of Arne Duncan who tell us, "If we are serious about having more students be productive citizens, if we are serious about having more students prepared to be successful in college, dramatically improving the quality and the quantity of after-school programming is going to be at the heart of our work as a country."  Again the answer is YES!  We believe that afterschool programs can provide a much-needed difference in a child’s life.   But it too is only part of the reason. 

The words of Mead and Duncan have certainly propelled us forward, but it is the words of people who have actually benefitted from the training and staff development that most resonate with us.  Here are the words that matter most to us. 

 “There is not a day that goes by that I don’t reflect on the training I received to help me with a management situation or improve my lesson presentation. The training has helped me feel more confident in my ability to support students, interact with the staff on campus and build positive relationships with the families.”

 “I can’t tell you how important it is for me to have access to training 24/7.  I can go back and review information when I get confused and this empowers me to offer stronger learning opportunities for kids.”

“In addition to benefiting professionally, my training has helped me in my personal life as well. When you are dealing with people it’s all about communication, communication, communication and I feel I have improved the way I communicate with my husband, family, friends, and even my own children. I think back to the countless hours of youth development training each time my four year old “creatively” dresses herself for school or my two year old wants to “help” feed the dogs. The training I received was invaluable and I am often reminded of how lucky I was to have been able to be a part of it.”

"I began working in after-school programming when I was 16. It was my first job and I really did not know what to expect working with kids.  I was able to learn various classroom management techniques and gain valuable experience in the classroom. As I became more confident in my abilities and gained program experience I moved up the after-school ladder and became a Site Coordinator. As a Site Coordinator I learned a lot about doing things for others and truly enjoyed creating a safe, fun environment for kids. I feel my time in after school has helped me be a better person and a better parent."

Please join with Entrusted Legacy in promoting high-quality training for role models and mentors who work with youth in afterschool programs.  If you are not able to work directly with youth to support them as a role model and mentor, then support someone who is.  Invest in the future by investing with Entrusted Legacy.  Contact us at support@entrustedlegacy.org or by going to our website at www.entrustedlegacy.org  

Bringing Will to the Table

A recent article was posted that shared a young man’s perspective that formal education had not served him well—in fact he didn’t believe that he had learned anything important at school.  He spoke about the influences outside of the school system and how he had capitalized on opportunities to learn on his own. 

This article brings two things to my mind.  One is a question for the young man and the second a question for the system.  For the young man I would ask, “What about the system kept you from bringing the “will to learn” to the table when it is clear that you weren’t “anti-learning” as you engaged in learning in out-of-school spaces?  An easy response is that the classes didn’t seem relevant (although he did attend school for quite a while), but I also wonder about the connections he did or did not make with the adults at the school.  We know how important relationships with a positive role model and mentor are for youth.  What relationships were in place during his school experience?  Finally, were the classes more than irrelevant?  Were they also lacking rigor or so challenging that this young man could not feel successful?  More questions than answers, but I am curious.  Certainly bringing “will” to the table is essential, but when that “will” is spent in other learning activities, the question becomes, why not here at school?

For the school system I would ask what efforts were made to build the non-cognitive skills (those that we know are predictors of success beyond academic achievement)?  Is there anything being done to consider all aspects of a young person—social, emotional, physical, as well as cognitive?  Did anyone get to know this young man and his hopes and dreams?  Did the 3 R’s—relationships, relevance, and rigor come into play?

Out-of-school time can offer the 3 R’s through staff that are positive role models for mentors and youth.  This is an essential ingredient to success.  To ensure that out-of-school time staff members are prepared for this essential role, Entrusted Legacy has partnered with Consult 4 Kids to provide a comprehensive staff development program tailored for their needs.  Join with us as we work to share this system with all out-of-school time providers.  Entrust your Legacy with us.  Make an investment in the future by going to our website at www.entrustedlegacy.org and clicking on the “donate” tab.

Changing the Learning Experience for Youth

What sort of experience do we want youth to have in our afterschool and other out-or-school time programs?  The Learning in Afterschool and Summer Principles capture this clearly—learning that is active, collaborative, meaningful, develops skills and broadens horizons.  Experiences for youth that embody these principles are key to closing the opportunity gap and creating citizens of the world.

The challenge is this—to be able to ensure that those experiences are provided, out-of-school time staff must be well prepared to be positive role models and mentors and understand the dynamics of working with youth.  Staff must be professional, focused on safety, understand how to manage the many different environments of out-of-school time while supporting positive behavior choices and implementing a fair and consistent discipline system.  These leaders must also understand holistic instruction how to manage transitions and debriefing the learning, and internalize the difference between direct and tell and questioning to connection. 

Entrusted Legacy is partnering with Consult 4 Kids to provide access to web-based training that is written, audio, video, and complete with a tracking system.  Help us to reach all of the out-of-school time professionals by investing in the future.  Go to our website at www.entrustedlegacy.org and join with others to make a difference and leave a legacy.